outer_divide | 009 ⌥ TEXT [filtered against erik, sorry bro]

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009 ⌥ TEXT [filtered against erik, sorry bro]

1. If you join him, you're a fool. A public call to arms is what the enemy's been waiting for. They'll kill you where you stand. No hesitation, no remorse.

[Yes, Shepard has a plan. No, she isn't letting on that she has one here. If Erik wants to be a big flaming distraction, more power to him, but she isn't letting him take anyone else down with him.]

2. My offer for weaponry's still open. No compensation necessary, I got what I needed. If you can't shoot, I'll teach you. He was right on one thing: Defense is crucial.

3. Eliot, a word? Later tonight, unless you want in goring range of a ten-ton reptile. Let me know where to find you.

4. Kaidan--I'm on my way.

[She thinks. She and the triceratops are doing a bit of sizing up as she types this, so it's all up in the air how well this'll end up working.

MEANWHILE, anyone on the main road will see a single triceratops making haste more-or-less toward the pen Kaidan mentioned. It has two or three ropes tied near the ends of each of the two primary horns, the other ends of which are in her hands as she straddles its shoulders, just barely too far back for any potential injuries from the dinosaur's crest. The aforementioned hands are glowing a faint blue--she's strong, but not quite strong enough to steer a triceratops. Not without her biotics, anyway.]

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[She shakes her head, then realizes he probably can't tell, as rough as the somewhat-belligerent dinosaur's gait seems to be. So she tries again out loud:]

No.

[Another tug on the reins to one side, then she continues:]

I'm from Citadel Space, circa 2185. [But that's not the answer he was after, is it?] From the ship, like you and most anyone you'll talk to. [The natives tend to keep very strongly to their own, she's noticed.]

[A slight nod. She doesn't regret the conversation but it's far from her comfort zone; she's used to listening, not talking.]

I'll let you know, then. [When there's a lull, when she can reach the ship.]

Yes. He does. [Unfortunately, for him and anyone who thinks to throw their support his direction.]

1. Good. I hoped so.

2. Weapon of choice?

[1. She's a bit proud of him, not gonna lie.

2. Yes, she is taking him seriously. Choose wisely, Ian. 'Bazooka' is not a viable answer.]

I appreciate it. [She does.

And if there's nothing else Jocelyn wants to address, she'll be ending the transmission there.]

Yeah, staying clear, not a problem. [Kaidan is quick with this reassurance, and even quicker to keep to a safe range as the beastie looms larger and closer.

The ramp, at least, is as sturdy as framed and packed earth can be made, and it leads down to a pile of fresh browse and the seepage pool of water that have to be looking good to the average ceratopsian right about now.]

I'll start barring the gate as soon as he's through, and I'm all ears about that migraine fix.

[Barring the gate? Not going to help it.]

I fear they may notice that some of us are new--not from the first of those to wake. In that case, a solution to prevent any more of that would be to destroy the ship.

Though I agree, it would likely be a secondary target.

[Wing frowns.] Not that I have discovered. My fear is if the ship is hit, losing power, we could lock those within permanently. That would be...a terrible wake up.

This is truly useful information.

Were they ever witnessed to deal with the occult or magic in some form? What is their usual approach to dangers of that nature?

[That set of numbers is familiar. Lyall turns some to keep her more in his line of sight, takes in her bearing and clothing, and makes a guess.]

Ah. Commander Shephard? Major Alenko mentioned you.

[But not that you'd be riding a dragon. Or is that one of those dinosaurs he'd been talking about...?]

It will be an interesting puzzle for those long, quiet nights years from now.

Here's hoping we'll be long gone by then. Starting to miss being around a ship that runs.

Same as their response to most everything else: Lots and lots of firepower.

They'll try and collar you, but depending on the nature of the magic, that might not do much good.

Collar? I take it that it is some form of sealing, no? Quite formidable foes, it would seem.

[And now Alucard finally knows the last bit she was wondering about, causing her to definitely want to take a shot at them soon. Eep.]

Yes. Which is why painting a target on our heads is just short of suicide.

[Until they have the right defenses, that is, but she makes a point to avoid mentioning such things on the network.]

A conservative approach, but I see why you're taking that path.

[She herself was more used to "Search and Destroy" or similar strategies, of course - but that had a lot to do with her personal interests. Most humans had, understandably, different goals.]

It's the approach the military would take.

[Just a small guess. It was a shame that secure lines were hard to come by in a place like this, or she might have written more.]

[It's less 'clothing' and more 'armor', which is probably all the more telling.

Meanwhile, that makes both of them who recognized the other this afternoon, although it's one-for-two in correct recognition.

But the dinosaur's got momentum and it's heading right on past him, so before anything else, she calls dryly:]

If you want to talk, you have to keep up. This thing stops for no man. [Because steering it's the best she can do at this point. Here's hoping it at least stops for the wall of a well-built pen.

After a second, she continues.] Just 'Shepard's fine.

[And it's true: The triceratops balks a bit at the top of the hill, as if sensing a trap, but then seems to catch sight of the foliage and rethink its reservations.

Shepard catches hold of the crest now that the beast is distracted, kicking a leg over to straddle it and using it as leverage to ease herself as far forward as she can reach. And she shimmies the ropes off of first one horn, then the other, bailing off the side just in time to make tracks back out through the gate before the dinosaur's anything but distracted.]

Not sure how much good it'll do, but when I scouted out that bunker out west, I picked up what looked like some pretty damn good pain meds. [She's explaining as she heads out, eyeing what he's putting his attention to so she might be able to lend a hand. Make it easier on him. He's doing her a favor, after all.] It's better than nothing.

I would ask if you had any thoughts on how to get off-world, but that is a conversation much better held in person.

[Definitely more telling. Lyall isn't entirely sure following would be the best idea-- he's not sure where she's going, and it's a bit undignified-- but he wants to at least introduce himself, so he sighs a little and breaks into a trot to follow along.

Back the way he'd come. Oh, well.]

Professor Randolph Lyall, how do you do.

[It seems silly to pop out the polite-society phrase while jogging in the wake of a dragon-dinosaur-thing, but it's how one manages confusing situations, and this is definitely confusing.]

From eighteen seventy-five. I've only just come from that-- ship, as the Major called it. He was quite helpful on the subject of-- well, everything, I suppose.

[What Kaidan's got his attention on is a series of biotic lifts: raising the scavenged I-beams from their neatly stacked pile of five and floating them one by one back to where he's sunk some deep holes for them, reinforced by more concrete blocks around the sides to keep the walls from falling in. It's a combination of bulk lifting capacity and fine manipulation to slot the bars back into their sockets, and the first one alone has him falling silent and gritting his teeth in concentration.

Given that Shepard's seen him lift very large geth with a lot more mass than the beams, it's a good sign that he's seriously pushed his limits, between rescue efforts and construction. He sets the beam in the centre hole, cutting the open space of the gate in half in a just-in-case contingency for if no other beams get lifted.]

Those... would definitely be appreciated.

[Admitting that much is telling in and of itself. He takes a break with the beam in place, rubbing at his temples.]

I figure that with a little more time and some welding, we can rig up an actual gate mechanism. Just have to slide things to unlock. Couldn't find hinges now, though, so sorry about that.

Edited 2012-07-08 18:03 (UTC)

1. :D

2. I'm not sure...what would you recommend?

[Clearly he must have some sort of advantage—Shepard had mentioned that there were other people with extranormal abilities here. That would explain his unusual confidence...]

Well, that'll be... interesting. I think I will be content to spectate from a safe distance on that fight.

Also... about that weaponry offer. I suppose I should probably have *something*, since, well, if nothing else, the local fauna seems to be a bit more on the aggressive side than I'm used to. What have we got?

1.

.....____________________ , ,__
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[Welcome to 'entirely too much spare time', starring Shepard.]

2. Describe your paintball gun.

[This'll see both what he's used to and how familiar he is with firearm terms.]

Hey. I'm not in the city limits. Headin' south to intercept the trade delegation.

I'll can give ya a call when I'm back if you want to talk. Might take up your offer of weapons then too.

Roger.

I'll keep it short and sweet--yes, it is 'that kind of organization', and don't let him tell you a damn word otherwise.

The rest can wait. Let me know when you're on your way back in.

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009 ⌥ TEXT [filtered against erik, sorry bro]

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